PHS band students march to the beat of their own drums

The Permian High School drumlins practices on 8/1/2018 in the afternoon.

The Permian High School drumlins practices on 8/1/2018 in the afternoon.

Photo: Jacy Lewis

Photo: Jacy Lewis

Image
1of/18

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 18

The Permian High School drumlins practices on 8/1/2018 in the afternoon.

The Permian High School drumlins practices on 8/1/2018 in the afternoon.

Photo: Jacy Lewis

PHS band students march to the beat of their own drums

1 / 18

Back to Gallery

The drum majorette marked time with the clicking of the electronic metronome as John Carroll, director of the Permian High band's drumline, instructed his students using a speaker system. The drumline was in the parking lot by the fieldhouse one day last week practicing marching drills. Football yard lines and parking space lines intertwined across the pavement.

Members of the drumline were marching with instruments unless they were part of the auxiliary ensemble. They marched north to south, forward and backward, then they worked in the side-to-side movements. The purpose of the exercises is keeping in step and making strides look effortless even with a large tenor or bass drum, according to Melanie Eychaner, a former student who is helping Carroll this summer.

The section leaders help students with the more complicated marches or demonstrate how certain steps should look. All but one of the four section leaders are seniors.

The snare drum section leader, John Eychaner, said meeting the new freshmen is probably his favorite part about summer band.

Natalie Berridge is the cymbals section leader. She said she enjoys being outside during summer band and teaching skills to the new students. "From freshman year, I have wanted to be a section leader," Berridge said.

Eychaner and Berridge said their goal this year is to make it to state band. "Probably, BOA (Band of America) finals like we had last year," Eychaner said.

Carroll gets help from former students and a former band instructor from the area. They volunteer their time to help the Permian drumline and gain experience in teaching and leading. Another of these former students is Tyler Serrato.

"Being a music education major, it's just great experience and a great opportunity to come out here and work with his (Carroll's) students," said Serrato, who is a student at Texas Tech University.

Serrato said the band has improved and grown since he was a student because of the addition of freshmen at the high school.

Former Midlander Chris Johnson teaches and plays in Houston. He said Carroll is the reason he keeps coming back to help with summer band.

"It's really exciting to maintain this level we have set over the past couple of years and keep making it better," Johnson said.

Carroll said he is proud of his current and former students and there is a balance to the drumline that flows to the rest of the band.

"They're all equally important," Carroll said. "Everyone has their favorites but they're all equally important."

Carroll said the band is like a big family.

"The Permian band is under great leadership under the head band director, Jeff Whitaker," Carroll said. "It's a great family. Everyone has everybody's back. Everybody cares about each other."